Can't wait to hear Mr. Geist's rebuttal. I wonder if Chip Rogers will write it for him.

Ms. Anfuso, children in Cherokee County do have options to attend other elementary schools, if they are not happy with the school in their district, as long as the school of their choice is not overcrowded. Seems only fair, doesn't it? Also, you need to do your research on the Academines (sic). These have been in the works for years. And CCSD has definitely had "alternatives to the traditional public schools" for years as well -- you really need to do your homework!!

This seem like an attack on the messenger, Mr. Chapman, because you can not defend Mr. Geist's actions as a CCSD Board member. What if a member of CCA Board continutley spoke out against charter schools and promoted traditional schools? Geist has not done the job he was elected to do.

Actually, Geist is doing the job he was elected to do: Represent his constituents. Given the recent primary results, at least half the county favors school choice. School Choice is a plank of the GOP platform.

Really, the question is...if Chapman and Read claim to be Republicans, why do they hate such a major plank of the GOP platform so much? Why does Mike Chapman hate charter school children and the education they're receiving so much? He's obviously on a personal vendetta here and is just a petulant little whiner on his way off the board, thank goodness.

And why does Chapman get away with letting a private citizen (someone named Kanoop?) address Michael Geist directly a few months ago over charter schools? This is a direct violation of Board Policy.

If the board chair can ignore board policy, he's a hypocrite to try and attack another board member for alleged violations as well. The good news is that this petulant little man will soon be leaving.

Does half the county live in Bridge Mill now? Is that why more than 60% voted for Janet Read over the other joker? There was only one person that heavily favors "choice" that won, and that was by 24 votes (50.01% to 49.99%), and that is only to serve one post (the one centered around CCA...duh). And their voting record shows they are not in line with the GOP platform... Obama in 2008? Really? And the Republican Party of Cherokee County supports this person?

This just shows that its not about principles, core values, or beliefs with you "Yes people", its about "the agenda". Geist has been far too busy with CCA to even know what is going on in CCSD. If anything, he is going to get CCSD in trouble with SACS. Now he's out emailing CCSD parents to vote for the amendment? Is his goal to get CCSD to lose accreditation?

Monty, Patsy Jordan's district was basically a 50% toss up too.

And where can one view who voted for whom? When I've researched voter records, I can only see whether or not someone participated in an election, not who that person voted for.

I recall from watching the debates on the Patch that Marlow's opponent was a union member and an abortionist (speaking of crapping on GOP values!) but I didn't find anything that indicated who any candidate actually cast a vote for in any election.

Or are you just making stuff up again, Monty?

Bottom line: The superintendent's angry balding puppet Chapman is soon to be gone! Though he'll be replaced by the sycophantic Read...but at least she's got all her hair. LOL

The Cromer/Kelly! post was much much closer. There are still discrepancies that were never resolved with that post. A lot of voters complaining that their ballots were wrong. Wonder if that was on purpose? Hmmmm...

At least we've got Janet Read, with her common sense approach and her history of looking out for all the children in Cherokee County. Definitely a better choice than that bozo Dukes who tried again and failed.

Debbie, I agree - Read cannot possibly be worse than bottom-of-the-barrel Chapman. I hope Read stops hating charter school children & their parents the way Chapman does.

Steely, I know that Janet will do a great job. She's done a great job for years and she was by FAR the best candidate in this summer's race. I'm sad to see Chapman go. I think he has been a terrific board member. I'm still angry at our local legislative delegation for drawing him out of his post. It was shameful retaliation. Glad that Jordan will be on the board. Definitely think Cromer was the better candidate in that race. I agree with Monty. I think Marlow will have SACS looking over our business sooner than later. She and Geist care about 1000 kids, not the 39,000 kids.

Monty, I need to correct myself. I apologize - I was wrong when I said half the county wants school choice.

The results are in and it's more like 60% of the county. Statewide, 600,000 more people favor School Choice than the failed status quo.

Thank god that dinosaur Chapman is leaving. Let's hope the super either follows him or gets on-board with School Choice.

And let this be a friendly reminder to the other School Board members up for re-election over the next few years: Ignore School Choice at your electoral peril. The people have spoken - 60% of the county favors more educational choices for parents and their kids. Geist being at the forefront of this movement bodes well for his re-election.

So you believe it is acceptable to completely ignore the people and schools that he is elected to represent?

Dear Monty - Until this election when board members represent a defined post, all the board members were elected to represent ALL of us in the County. To answer your question directly - I believe Chapman completely ignored the people and schools he found unacceptable to his narrow views. Chapman chose status quo which is not representing the majority of our citizens.

Addie...two of the most egregious offenses happened in the last month. He spoke out against the board decisions at Freedom School and he attended a pro rally last Saturday.

And then emailed CCSD parents to vote for the amendment last night using directories from CCSD schools... not politically motivated?

He used CCSD school directories???

Wow - so he's doing exactly what our superintendent does, using public facilities to campaign for a specific political agenda?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander!
When in Rome, do as the Romans!
Fight fire with fire!

If Dr. P can do it, so can Geist. I've got no problems with this whatsoever.

I have yet to see any proof of a Dr. P email. Didn't the guy that Janet Read beat say he was going to share those back in June? But still nothing...

So it is okay to use people's words out of context?

It's OK to use people's exact quotes, even though Chapman only says what Petruzielo's string-pulling makes his mouth say. Guy's not had an original thought in years. He's just a Dr. P mouthpiece in need of a hairpiece.

Then use it in its full content... He said (and I'm paraphrasing) that if you don't like it you can move, you can home school, you could go to a private school... but most people can't afford or just unable to do those options. However, that is what you "yes-people" missed out on as you were focused on anything that would make him look bad. He's a brilliant guy and is there for the community. He's been here since Cherokee was at the brink of losing accreditation, and not it looks like he'll be leaving just before we actually do lose accreditation at the hands of meddling board members.

Mr. Chapman is looking out for the majority of Cherokee children. Geist is only looking out for about 2%. Are you trying to argue for all the children, or just all the children at CCA?

If you want all children to be successful, then go shout at Chip Rogers to fully fund ALL educational avenues.

Mike Chapman is looking out for what Dr. P tells him to look out for. Dr. P doesn't have the courage to attack Geist in public so he sent his lame-duck loser soon-to-be-ex chairman after him.

At least he wasn't too busy looking at Forsyth. He's been focused on Cherokee and will continue to be a very helpful community member, unlike his haters which only like to complain about living in one of the best school districts.

Actually, Chapman's a complete roadblock to any educational reform to the half of Cherokee County that is pro-parental choice (if not more than half).

The man's an educational dinosaur. His time is mercifully up. Can't wait to see him leave. He's a millstone around the neck of educational reform and progress.

Then you've been in the dark. He's bullied teachers, ignored his duty for CCSD schools, used school directories to email CCSD parents to vote for this amendment.... well, you can watch the video on CCSD website of the board meeting.

If he's ignoring schools, when is he bullying teachers (since that would require paying attention to schools)?

There you go again, Monty - making stuff up!

Chapman's just jealous because Geist has the ability to come up with an independent thought. Every time Chapman gets that urge, he feels that YANK in his back from Puppet Master P telling him what to think & say!!

Speaking of puppets... have you pulled "The Winner's" hand out of your backside? Or are these his words you're typing?

Monty, you let me know when you've got something to say that isn't being piped to you directly from Dr P's office, probably using taxpayer-funded facilities.

I'm sorry, but I can't give credit to anyone but myself for my words. As I've mentioned before, I've never had a conversation with Dr. P, let alone been instructed on what to say. If you think that I am being led by CCSD's leaders as to what I am to say, then I must be on the right track. I appreciate your affirmation.

Monty, you need to re-examine the definition of the word 'leader'. The only thing Dr. P leads is the queue at the buffet line.

Yeah... and Marlow will surely be a great addition. I'll give her 6 months before SACS comes a callin'... If the agenda is to have CCSD fail... then... well... you've done a great job.

I look forward to the drama Marlow will bring to the table. Bravo TV has cameras ready to roll. The trashier the better. Cherokee County never disappoints!

Actually, since the district is taking the property tax of charter parents and not using it to educate charter children, the district completely wins by having the charter school here.

Not that the district was apparently doing very much to educate those 1000+ kids prior to the charter school. But now, that's 1000 less kids that the traditional schools have to educate, even though the district is just pocketing those 1000s of parents' property tax.

If the charter school closes, the public schools will continue to fail to educate those kids, the schools will have to absorb 1000 kids, and those parents will likely face angry, vindictive teachers. It's a lose-lose situation, not that our hero superintendent cares.

Actually, the district is losing more money through sharing than they would get from all the charter parents (how do we know this isn't going to the charters?). Combine that with the failure of our legislators to fund CCSD correctly and the district is losing big time. And now, if this silly amendment passes, all districts will lose even more so our "bought-and-paid-for" legislators can please their campaign contributors from "Big Education" corporations. Shame shame shame... just another reason our state is the lowest ranked state in the US in ethics. If you take the inverse of that we are the best at being corrupt.

Wrong as usual, Monty.

CCSD takes charter parent property tax and spends it on non-charter students. Charter parents aren't having a dime of their local $$$ used to actually educate their children.

The district is making out like bandits by taking charter kids' money and not spending it on education of charter kids. District is a big winner here. Charter parents are the losers, though their children win since the charter school does a better job of education than the district is doing.

Prove it. Show me where the money that is supposed to be going to the district schools (austerity cuts) is not going to charters. Show me that the 25% of the county education taxes that the state takes from Cherokee is not going to any charter schools. Where does the money go? Where do charters get their money? How is the state able to increase funding for charters, while cutting funding to districts? It's very simple to see what is happening here regardless of a loop-hole law created by corrupt politicians to take district funding and hand it over to charters all the while pointing back at 797 and saying... "no local money is being taken from public schools." That is absolute bull snot.

Monty, not a dime of Cherokee County property tax goes to the charter school, since the local board didn't approve it. That's the law.

QBE is the law, too. But that hasn't been followed in years. This is just another reason why our state is at the bottom of the barrel in ethics.

Geist was elected to represent PARENTS and TAXPAYERS. Not the CCSD. Since over half the county is pro-parental-choice, Geist is actually doing his job. As usual, it is the petty, vindictive, petulant, small-minded, archaic Mike Chapman who is derelict in both his opinion AND his ability to do his job properly. He constantly violates board policy and is a disgrace of a board member. Janet Read cannot take the reigns quickly enough, though let's hope she can keep her obvious bias against charter school children at bay long enough to do her job properly.

The fact that you think people are elected to represent the board rather than those who voted for them speaks volumes on the huge disconnect between the stagnant, minority status-quo crowd and those who desire real educational change & improvement for all of the county's children.

He's not representing the parents or taxpayers. He's been bought out by Chip Rogers and CCA. He isn't looking out for the best interests of the children in the district. Mike Chapman even gave Geist an entire month to answer his questions. How is that archaic?

Half? Can you provide those numbers please? (and then refer to the above post that address your inaccurate, misleading post)

Geist was NOT elected to represent constituents. SB84, authored by your very own Chip Rogers and signed into law, states: Given the specialized nature and unique role of membership on a local board of education, this elected office should be characterized and treated differently from other elected offices where the primary duty is independently to represent constituent views. Local board of education members should abide by a code of conduct and conflict of interest policy modeled for their unique roles and responsibilities. And although there are many measures of the success of a local board of education, one is clearly essential: maintaining accreditation and the opportunities it allows the school system's students."
The SCHOOL SYSTEM'S STUDENTS. Not those who CHOOSE other education options-- private school, home school or charter school. That is the law (as written by Chip).

Wrong. Candidates are elected to represent the taxpayers.

They ARE NOT elected to be Dr. P's puppets, which is all the BOE is right now.

The law says school board members do not serve constituents like other elected officials. So, the law is wrong?

Last I checked, Mr. Geist has the same First Amendment rights as the rest of us. If he wants to campaign for the Parental Choice crowd, I'm all for it. Esp. since union members have campaigned for the NO crowd on taxpayer facilities.

Steely Dan, how can you argue with state law? Are you really that stupid?

Geist himself has said many times that his only role at CCA is "just a parent." Now, if you believe that, I have a swamp to sell you. However, by his own words, he DOES NOT and SHOULD NOT represent CCA. He has so many ethical violations it's amazing. He continues to demonstrate that he doesn't care about CCSD students. Not. One. Bit.

Debbie, if the charter haters can openly campaign on public taxpayer property, so can Geist.

Chapman's middle name is "Incompetent" - it's a little-known fact.

Chapman was 100% correct in what he called Geist out on. Geist deserved every word. And Steely, I've only read a few things so far, but I am so over your insults and avoidance of the truth. You contribute nothing to the discussion.

Thanks for continuing to read my posts, Debbie! Regardless of how 'over' you are of me, Mike Chapman's Reign of Error will soon be "over" too. For good.

good riddance!